SAPS - South African Police Service

Pretoria man nabbed after mocking video goes viral

Media Statement
National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure

Pretoria: A 23-year-old man was arrested for allegedly contravening the Regulations of the Disaster Management Act 2002.

On 27 March 2020 little snippets of a video, in which two young men were seen travelling around Pretoria with one of them continuously swearing, mocking efforts to curb the Covid-19 virus and bragging they do not comply with laws put in place to contain the virus, went viral.

In one of the snippets, one man appears to be standing in front of a police station and continued swearing about the virus. This matter was investigated and the suspect was traced and found inside a residential complex in the Lyttelton policing area.

The suspect is likely to face charges of at least contravening Regulation 11B of the Disaster Management Act 2002. He is currently in police custody and he is expected to appear in the Pretoria Magistrates Court tomorrow.

The arrest of this suspect as well as at least six other suspects that have been arrested for creating such videos and posting fake news, should be a reminder that the Security Forces enforcing the Regulations to contain the Covid-19 virus have the capacity and capability to identify those responsible for such transgressions, however long it may take.

People are urged to view the scourge of Covid-19 virus seriously as thousands of people globally have lost their lives this to this plague, including at least six people in South Africa.

The Regulations are being enforced not to punish people but to protect lives against this pandemic.